Lay it when the grass is growing
Warm-season grasses root fastest when they are actively growing. In Central Florida, that is the warm part of the year, from spring through summer and into early fall.
Sod laid during active growth knits into the soil quickly. Sod laid while the grass is dormant just sits there, and it stays vulnerable longer.
Summer works, if the watering is right
Summer is a good time to sod because the grass is growing hard and the rainy season helps with water. The risk is heat. New sod has almost no roots, and it can dry out in a single hot afternoon.
That is why a watering plan matters more than the calendar. Sod that gets the right water in its first weeks takes. Sod that gets missed for a day or two in July can brown out.
Plan the install for a time when someone can actually watch the lawn and adjust watering for the first couple of weeks.
What to avoid
Avoid laying sod right before or during a hard freeze. Central Florida winters are mild, but cold snaps happen, and dormant sod with no roots is easily damaged.
Cool-season installs can still work in a mild stretch, but rooting is slower, so the lawn needs more patience before it is mowed or walked on heavily.
Avoid letting sod sit on pallets. It heats up and dies from the inside if it is not laid soon after delivery.
The first weeks after install
Water right after the sod is laid until the soil underneath is wet. For the first week or two, keep the sod and the soil beneath it consistently moist with frequent watering.
As roots grab hold, taper off to deeper, less frequent watering. A good test is a gentle tug on a corner. When it resists, the roots are in the soil.
Hold off on the first mow until the sod is rooted, and keep heavy traffic off it. Hold fertilizer until the grass is established and actively growing, and check your local fertilizer ordinance first.
Planning a sod project
Corso schedules sod installs around the season and leaves you with an establishment schedule so you know exactly how to water in the first weeks.
If you have a project in mind, tell us about it through the quote form at /#quote.
